Lecture 2

Transport processes

Dr. S. Annie Jeyachristy

Lecturer, Unit of Biochemistry
Faculty of Medicine
Objectives

Transport mechanism with examples

Learning Outcomes

Discuss transport processes across the cell

membrane
 Transport
mechanisms Transport process

Passive transport Active transport

(no expenditure of energy) (requires expenditure of energy)

Simple diffusion
Mediated transport

Osmosis
Facilitated diffusion

Facilitated diffusion Active transport

 Movement of a substance from an area of high concentration to an
area of low concentration(down a concentration gradient)

Rate of diffusion increases with Simple diffusion

Increase in concentration
gradient and temperature

Decrease in molecule size and

viscosity

There is uniform distribution of

molecules

Requires no expenditure of energy

Small uncharged molecules (O2, CO2, H2O and lipid-soluble substances

are transported by diffusion
 Osmosis
Diffusion of a solvent across a semipermeable membrane from an
area of low solute concentration to an area of high solute
concentration.

Osmotic pressure is a measure of tendency of water (solvent) to move

across the selective permeable membrane

Isoosmotic solution have same

concentration of solute particles (cells
placed in isoosmotic solution swells

or shrinks)

Hyperosmotic solution have higher

concentration (cells shrink)
Hypoosmotic solution have lower concentration than reference
solution (cells swell or may lyse)
 Facilitated diffusion (Eg. Glucose transport)
Movement of a substance across a cell membrane from an area of
high concentration to an area of low concentration by means of a
carrier molecule. (along the concentration gradient and does not
require energy expenditure)

Large water soluble molecules are transported by facilitated diffusion.

Carrier molecules have active sites that bind with either a single or
group of similar substances (specificity).

Similar molecules compete for carrier molecules.

Saturation occurs when all the carrier molecules are used.

This process requires the use of membrane proteins.

1. carrier proteins 2. channel proteins

(a) non-gated channels
(b) gated channels
Active transport (Eg. Na+,K+-ATPase pump)

Some solutes have a higher concentration inside the cell than outside.

Movement is across the cell membrane will be against the

concentration gradient and requires expenditure of energy

carrier proteins (unidirectional) found in the plasma membrane have

specific binding sites for the molecules to cross the membrane.

An exchange pump is an active transport mechanism that

simultaneously moves two substances in opposite directions across
membrane.
Endo- & exocytosis - moving
material into (endo-) or out of (exo-)
cell in bulk form.
Active transport
Characteristics of Facilitated Diffusion & Active Transport

o both require carriers specific to a particular substance

o both exhibit saturation (movement across a membrane limited by

number of carriers & speed with which they move materials)

Comparison
of transport
types